Mandy Shemuvalula: Youth development must be the starting point of all business models
[bctt tweet=”Mandy Shemuvalula: the youth of the African continent are the most powerful demographic” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Mandy Shemuvalula is a 29-year-old Namibian who is a revolutionary at heart. After graduating in 2010 from Monash University in Malaysia with an Honors Bachelors’ degree in Business and Commerce (majoring in International Business), she knew the global business arena was where her heart laid. Mandy asserts that her life purpose is to challenge the status quo for the greater good. Having participated in reputable summits and interned with global brands, Mandy experienced a radical paradigm shift from her view of empowerment and philanthropy and how it can be closely tied to business growth. This greatly influenced her new journey to starting Youthia, which she is steadfastly building as a revolutionary youth economy and easing intra-continental youth trade in Africa. At what point did you decide empowering young Africans is what you want to do? It all started during a five-day trip to India in September 2014, as part of my internship at the World Headquarters of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. The trip was a social media experiment by Coca-Cola called Women of the Web. We took eight influential American mom bloggers across five cities in India to expose them first-hand to Coca-Cola’s global women empowerment initiative, 5by20, running on the ground. During the trip, although short, I began to experience a paradigm shift observing how Coca-Cola was building its powerful business while simultaneously developing local communities. Almost instinctively, I knew this was how I needed to approach doing business moving forward. Not too long after my trip to India, I was off to Kenya for three months to do another internship with Microsoft. While in Nairobi, I engaged with the SME community and observed the stellar innovation coming out from the young people over there. I knew this was a breeding ground for more, coupled with the largest population segment on the continent, the youth. God was ordering my steps. It was definitely divine! Who is that one role model that fueled your drive for youth empowerment over the years and why? I wouldn’t say I was particularly passionate about youth empowerment growing up. In fact, it was something I just kind of stumbled into while in India. But I think the seeds began to be planted during my experience participating in the inaugural class of the Mandela Washington Fellowship of Young African Leaders in 2014. While attending the Presidential Summit in Washington DC with Barack and Michelle Obama, in a room full of progressive young Africans, a light bulb went on that the youth of the African continent will be the most powerful demographic. I think that’s when it officially clicked that young people in Africa are actually a big deal. The biggest deal. [bctt tweet=”Young people in Africa are actually a big deal. The biggest deal.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are some of the setbacks you faced starting up Youthia and how did you pull through? I knew that if I was to dedicate my life to Youthia, I had to shoot for a massively huge goal. I couldn’t and shouldn’t play small because I wanted to have monumental impact with my work. Because the vision is huge, it was incredibly hard to find the right talent who understood the mission and was able to commit to it for the long haul. I truly believe Youthia is from God so slowly but surely, the right people began to be directed to me in weird serendipitous ways. At first, I became a little frustrated at how slow things were moving but I had to trust the process and the right people continued to show up. Another big hurdle was definitely start-up capital. We are trying to do things that have not been done before so convincing funders and investors that this could work was and is challenging. But by being consistent and persistent, we were able to gradually win them over. The struggle continues. And lastly, our biggest challenge to date is trying to educate the public that youth economic development can no longer be an NGO, charity or philanthropic organization’s work. It will be a conscious, for-profit business industry and we need to lead the way. It has to be an actual youth economy that is contributing billions of dollars to African nations’ GDP. We want it to be as cool as the Apples, Googles, and Facebooks of this world. The world is changing and changing fast. Youth development can no longer be an afterthought but the starting point of all business models. An objective of Youthia is to empower one million youths by 2025, where do you see yourself also in 2025? Personally, I see myself living an extraordinary, fulfilled and peaceful life. [bctt tweet=”A wrong mindset and character are the biggest barriers for youth entrepreneurs.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In your experience, where would you say most youths miss it in business? Undoubtedly, the wrong mindset and character. We often talk about youth lacking relevant skills or capital, little access to markets, amongst many others. These are legitimate hindrances. But the mind-set and character are the biggest barriers for youth entrepreneurs. They do not prioritize developing mental and emotional strength to weather the storms. They feel entitled. This holds them back. What do you think are the 3 attributes of an enterprising youth? Resilient, patient and self-aware. Oh, can I add one more? Resourceful. If you were made Minister for Youth Affairs in Namibia, what are the first two things you will do in office? Thank goodness this is theoretical as I don’t think I can survive in politics. I’m too radical and honest, lol. I would definitely push for better regulations governing youth entrepreneurship and youth job creation. And most importantly, I would prioritize developing a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem that is driven and powered by youth. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
The Art of loyalty: How to build brand love and engagement with content marketing
[bctt tweet=”Few people are loyal to brands, here’s how to get people to love yours with content marketing” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What brand of seasoning cube was in your home growing up? Right now, if you took a random survey, odds are your respondents will tell you they saw only one brand of seasoning cube. When I surveyed my colleagues -mostly 90s kids- the results match up. Most remember seeing only just the Maggi seasoning cubes or the Knorr seasoning cubes. It used to be that people were faithful to brands because they have a history with their products and services. They bought only one brand of cars; one brand of toiletries or picked groceries from only one store. Lots of factors are responsible for this loyalty; top on the list being limited choices. But that’s beyond the scope of this article. The point simply is that people are buying differently than they did in the 90s or as early as the turn of the millennium. These days, few people are loyal to brands. According to Accenture, only 28% of customers are loyal to brands. When one considers that it costs up to 25x more to acquire new customers than it does to keep one, this trend provides a unique challenge for business owners. For small businesses, the way to level the playing field with tough deep-pocket competition is to build brand loyalty. Customers will return to you come rain or shine when your brand inspires loyalty. How do you solve this problem as a small business? Enter content marketing. Engaging positively and consistently with customers along their different purchase journeys will nurture brand loyalty. This is most true for millennials; 62% of whom feel that online content drives their loyalty to a brand. Triggering loyalty might just be the core of content marketing. What is content marketing? “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action,” – Content Marketing Institute. If you received an e-mail update from your spin class instructor this morning, you’ve been exposed to a form of content marketing. If you’ve read a guide on “how to make Bantu Knots when your hair is only two inches long” – that’s content marketing. Combined with a top-class customer service, content marketing will create a community of rabid fans around your brand. [bctt tweet=”Customers will return to you come rain or shine when your brand inspires loyalty” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you begin? The first step is to outline your typical customer journey. There are many frameworks that explain the process from consumers’ awareness of your brand to transactional engagement with it. My favourite is Google’s “See, Think, Do, Care” framework. Understating this funnel helps you shape your message for the right customer in the right context. If you had a business selling lactation cookies, your communication at the “See” stage is to “all pregnant women.” At the “Think” stage, your communication is to “pregnant women or new mothers who are unable to lactate naturally.” At the “Do” stage, your communication is to “New mothers who want to buy lactation cookies right now”. Finally, at the “Care” stage, your communication is to “new mothers who bought and are taking lactation cookies from me.” At the last stage of the process, the goal is primarily to build loyalty. But nevermind this, elements that build loyalty should be baked into content at every stage. Shared value To consistently infuse brand loyalty triggers in your content is to develop and share content that is useful and conveys shared value. Shared value is about focusing more on people and their beliefs and less on your product. The focus on the product is why many contents from brands are ignored. According to a Corporate executive Board (CeB) study published in 2012, most consumers say that they were loyal “not to companies, but to beliefs.” From the text on your landing page to the call-to-actions on your ebook, your beliefs (and that of your audience) should shine through. [bctt tweet=”Content that engenders loyalty is more than a blog post, find out more here” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The types of content that engender loyalty Content that engenders loyalty is more than a blog post. Although those play a big role, loyalty-driven content marketing is driven by a deeper understanding of your customer motivations, their engagement behaviors, and your company goals. Some of the short examples I will proceed to share may not fit snugly with your brand, but you can deploy them based on your specific needs. 1. Culture blogs Culture blogs reveal the safe internal conversations of a company. For our example with our lactation cookie company, a culture blog could be “Why we keep our cookie cutter in the top drawer” or “What our new teammates taught us about cookie counting.” Or consider this super-honest culture blog from Buffer; “What We Got Wrong About Self-Management: Embracing Natural Hierarchy at Work.” The core idea of culture blogs is to put the culture, beliefs and thought processes of your company on full display. Culture blogs (like all other content types) can be deployed at every level of the customer journey but are suited for the “See” and “Think” stages. 2. Newsletters Newsletters are one of the most profitable pillars of content marketing. Emails have been known to provide an overall higher conversion rate when compared to other content channels. They can often provide functional purposes along every level of the consumer journey. You can use them to share product updates or nurture your leads. How ever you use them, ensure that you are helpful. 3. Product marketing kits What series of content will help your consumer live better, do their jobs better or increase their preferred variable of customer success? Combine them into one big digital folder (or ebook) and share with your audience. These kits are more instructional than sales-y. They have high production value
Zakithi Mncwango:I keep following the great yellow brick road of my career and trusting in my bliss.
[bctt tweet=”The truest version of yourself as you make your way through your career will get you far” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In addition to being Stevie Wonder’s biggest fan, Zakithi Mncwango is also the Africa marketing manager of Safilo. Safilo is an Italian eyewear creator and distributor of global fashion and lifestyle brands such as Fendi, Jimmy Choo, Hugo Boss and Marc Jacobs to name a few. Zakithi is an economics graduate happily working with the world’s leading fashion brands. She is highly skilled and experienced in luxury brand marketing management across the continent, with an interest in luxury brand strategy. When she is not building brands, Zakithi mentors marketing graduates and enjoys lunches that turn into dinners with great friends. Walk us through your career journey to this point of Marketing Manager at Safilo? In a way, my career journey has been a series of decisions and moments of grace that have arisen as result of my decision to “follow my bliss”. I loved economics in school, the idea that I could have a contribution more meaningful than just an opinion on the workings of the world; lead me to the study in university. While at university I sort of wandered into marketing, and in the line of my life, I followed my curiosity and throughout the course of some years since I graduated I have been able to work on some of the world’s leading food and beverage, cosmetics and fashion brands. As a marketing manager, your days are truly never the same. Through the many industries I have worked in, I’ve been exposed to all kinds of wonderful and interesting consumers. Our team must find new ways to communicate our key brand messages in this dramatically changing digital connected age. Now, I work with the Italian company Safilo that distributes some of the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle eyewear brands. I consider myself to still be in the early stages of my career journey but I’m having fun, reveling in challenges that come and finding new ways to talk about some truly iconic brands. I keep following the great yellow brick road of my career and trusting in my bliss. Share with us two major lessons learnt climbing your career ladder? Be authentic. The truest and realest version of yourself as you make your way through your career will get you further than a put-on version of someone else. It’s wildly rewarding to feel valued for who you are, and I’ve learnt in time that it will probably get you further than anything else. Do the very best you can with what you have and BE YOURSELF. I’ve seen time and time again that as you build a circle of influence throughout your career, authentic connection is the primary quality that directs the power of the relationships you can build professionally. Secondly, decide. It’s a common state I think to always seek external counsel or opinion before you make any decision. Be it what you’ll have for lunch or whether you’ll take the red pair of shoes or the green pair and inevitably bigger professional decisions such as whether to re-shoot a big budget tv ad or change direction on a brand strategy. The point is, at one stage or another there will be no one to co-opt the decision making with. There’ll be no time. You may have a set of choices with various probable outcomes and not enough time to explore them all. Whichever stage in your career, don’t shy away from leading the decision-making process. It could all go wrong. Or it could all go wonderfully well. Either way, at the start of it, you must decide. So, decide. What do you enjoy most and least about what you do? I work with some of the world’s most beautiful and inspiring brands. I love this! Every day, our team must find new ways to keep these brands fresh and interesting, I love that challenge. Everyone wants to be at the top. It’s a constant process of having to re-invent and this is sometimes very difficult. The competition is fast, so we must be faster. A challenge we rise to! Working at Safilo gives you great exposure to luxury brands, are there times you get star struck or rather brand struck working with some huge brands and how do you manage to keep your cool? Yeah sure, working with global icons, of course, I get a secret thrill! This doesn’t go away I’m afraid, and I hope it never does. I think with time I have managed to gasp and shriek a little less loudly in the office environment. But to be honest I love the brands I work with so I really revel in the chance to talk excitedly about them. What would you say is your major goal for 2017 and how do you plan to achieve it? In 2017, I would like to get the “cobwebs and dust” off my French. For working purposes it’s fundamental to me as I travel. I’ve already signed up for a class so I’m looking forward to that. I’m also looking to grow my professional network as I think it’s vital to personal growth to be connected to people especially from all walks of life. The major 2017 goal though is to have fun. Lots of it! We know you love Alber Elbaz, which other designers do you fancy and why? I don’t think there are any additional accolades I could give to Ozwald Boateng that he hasn’t yet received. He is truly a pioneer. His design philosophy and how it continues to evolve is truly magic. I’m lucky to be alive in a world where I can witness that kind of genius. I used to have my own blog and in that time found the work of Aisha Obuobi’s Christie Brown. Her work is truly wonderful. It’s a contemporary African aesthetic that belongs all over the world. I continue to watch and marvel at her work!
Tabitha Tongoi: Authenticity matters
[bctt tweet=”Write from personal experience has helped @CravingYellow remain consistent” via=”no”] When a post on your blog clocks about 40,000 views in under 24 hours, I think it’s safe to call you a highly successful blogger. Tabitha Tongoi creator and owner of the Craving Yellow blog, still gets astounded to know that she reaches that many people with her effervescent nature and views on life’s ups and downs. The 26-year-old Kenyan, natural hair enthusiast and lover of all things yellow has been blogging for over two years now. Tabitha touches on everything hair, beauty, lifestyle and of course, finding yellow i.e. finding joy in life’s simple pleasures. She has lived, worked and studied in four continents, her current home being Melbourne, Australia. Tabitha is currently on holiday in Nairobi and SLA contributor Diana Odera caught up with her to get to know more about life as an African blogger in the diaspora. Who is Tabitha outside of the craving yellow moniker? Personally, I feel like I’m a thinker and I’m a writer. In my free time, I’m always thinking of new ideas, researching on creative projects etc. I love the mind space. I’m always engaging with my mind so I guess I’m a bit of an introvert; I spend a lot of time observing the world and people. When it comes to my extended life – I’m the last born of 3, I have an older sister and an older brother who just got married last year. Career wise – I am getting into the blogging space, I studied Political Science, which was never meant to bring me here but here I am. I’m a bit of a nerd, I love to read and study, I‘ve always loved school. I also love to give and I love to encourage others and see them succeed. How did the Craving Yellow movement begin? It started when I was in my last year of uni. I had just come back from England, which was an amazing experience that made me grow into myself, learn how to formulate my own ideas and be confident in myself. Once I was back in the US with that mindset, I took a class on the power of documentary photography in telling new stories that are untold. I had just finished reading Americanah and I was so inspired so I decided to turn the camera on myself and tell my story because I felt there weren’t enough women in the diaspora who’s stories were being told, if any. So I started off on that premise, I knew I loved hair and people would talk to me about hair so that was a constant conversation starter. Hair was the hook but I also wanted to talk about other things e.g. who are you? When you go home what type of conversations are you having with yourself as a young African woman living abroad? It gradually took on a life of its own from there on. I saw a lot of my friends get into depression, addiction and just losing themselves so it was also about touching on these types of conversations and experiences that women face. [bctt tweet=”I was so inspired so I decided to turn the camera on myself and tell my story” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Your blog focuses on your natural hair journey as well as beauty and lifestyle topics. How do you go about creating great content that is relatable and consistent? The premise has always been my hair because that is what I can teach people about as a skill I have. I haven’t been as regimented as I’d like to be because I have a full-time job and run the blog on the side. On average I make sure to release 2-3 youtube videos, mostly on hair and hair reviews. On the blog, I put out two posts a month on hair and for lifestyle topics. I think that because I write from my own personal experience, the type of content stays consistent. I don’t write what everyone else is writing about so it just comes to me naturally. When I’m not able to write, I don’t force myself at all just to appear like I’m writing. At any point, have you felt the pressure from trolls online or any negative feedback that you may get on your blog – pressure to make you change from your premise? In terms of hair care, in Kenya as compared to abroad, I have only felt pressured when I’m compared to fashion bloggers who have a very different production process and different content. Sometimes people blur the two. By default, because the hair blogging field here is very small, it’s easy to be compared to others. But I think in terms of my own journey, one thing I really appreciate is having lived abroad and having had to be in my own mind space and create this blog with no outside interruptions. I admire what people do but I’m very clear in what my message is and what my premise is, I’ve never been threatened or intimidated. Having lived in four continents, how have these diverse environments contributed to your personal growth, your professional and academic career? I’ve really had to learn who I am and to be fine with that. I always stand out everywhere I go, so I’ve been forced to really look into myself and ask myself internally – who am I and what do I stand for, what are my passions, what drives me? etc. As a whole, it’s allowed me to have a very clear vision of who I am as a young person, more than I would have if I had stayed in Kenya. I’ve learnt to be my own island. Adaptability has been another strength I’ve gained, great work ethic as well. What keeps you motivated? I think about young girls out there who are probably struggling with a lot and need just a bit to encourage them to push on and
10 tips for excellent customer service
[bctt tweet=”Customer care can make or break a business, here are 10 tips to win at customer service” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Do you remember the last time you had an unpleasant experience with a service or product? Of course, you do. As paying customers, we’re looking to get value for our money. Yet we may find that at times the service or product fails to live up to the sales pitch. Perhaps the company does not answer emails or phone calls, the staff is clueless and disinterested, or you are given the run around when you called to report a problem. It does not matter how low your prices are, if the customer service is poor you will still lose out on repeat business. When you have outstanding customer service; happy customers are more than willing to pay for quality and a pleasant experience! Excellent customer service is what will set your businesses apart and improve your sales figures. Here is how to improve customer service for your hustle. Get your staff trained It is important to ensure that your staff members are trained in how to interact with customers and how to solve problems in a professional manner. You may want to train your employees on the following; Greeting and interacting with customers Answering the phone Staying calm in a crisis Managing emotions in a difficult situation Solving problems in a professional manner. Capitalise in effective and reliable training tools and on-going refresher courses. When staff members are properly trained, they feel empowered and motivated to serve to the best of their ability. Create a welcoming environment Companies who create a personalised service not only attract new customers but are able to retain their customer base. Invest in friendly, patient and courteous staff. Sometimes it’s the little things that matter such as offering a cold glass of water on a hot day, comfortable seating in the waiting area or a children’s area with toys for example can go a long way towards winning them over. In order to make lasting connections with customers, it is very important that the staff exude an authentic personable feel as opposed to animated robotic performances which may come out as fake or acting and put off the customer. Know your products/services It is important that the staff know your products and services in and out, how they work and how they benefit the customer. Be aware of the most common questions customers ask, and know how to articulate the answers that will leave them satisfied. Keep your points clear, simple and leave nothing to doubt. This way you will also be in a position to assist them when they run into problems. Persuasion skills are also valuable in excellent customer service. This is the ability to convince interested customers that your products are right for them. It is also important to honour your commitments, do what you say you will do, for example if you offer a guarantee then you must honour it. A sure-fire way to ruin your relationship with a client is to go back on your word. Polish your internal organisational systems Set clear goals and expectations so there are no misunderstandings, regularly communicate with your staff and find out what challenges they experience. Rectify problems and maximise on your strengths. Have a clearly defined and uniform company culture. An organisation that is disjointed and at loggerheads with itself will soon show its cracks to the outsider and can never succeed. All involved must pull together to one direction. It is crucial to have a well-defined organisational structure for communication and decision-making purposes. [bctt tweet=”Build trust by focusing on customer relationships and not sales” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Know your customers Know your target market very well; what they look for in a product and what their buying habits are. This will put you in a great position to not only match their needs but exceed their expectations! Build trust by focusing on customer relationships and not sales. Think long term when dealing with customers. By keeping customers happy, they will be loyal and through word of mouth, will do the marketing for you. It is also very important to be able to read your customers, whether face to face, via email or over the phone. Apart from what the customer is saying out loud, some basic understanding of behavioural psychology helps you to look and listen for subtle clues about their non-verbal communication, what they are not saying, their current mood, patience level, personality etc. This will go far in keeping your customer interactions positive and fruitful. Get customer feedback and solve problems Remember the customer is always right. Invest in easy and swift communication channels such as a suggestion box, customer surveys and feedback forms. Besides asking them directly, you can do this by putting a suggestion box, customer surveys, feedback forms where customers can report back about your service and offer suggestions. Offer many different ways for your customers to contact you: like phone, email, and your business’s social media pages. Also ensure management is easily accessible and reachable to resolve any matters when the need arise. Use the feedback to create a better experience and improved service. Use social media wisely Capitalise in well run platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where you can post about your current specials, discounts and new products around the clock. As much as social media can build your brand, posting recklessly can easily tarnish your image. Engage with customers responsibly, with great diplomacy and prudence. In the event of any complaint whether received publicly or privately, acknowledge the problem, apologize, even if you think you’re right, accept responsibility, adjust the situation with a negotiation to fix the problem and assure the customer that you will follow through. Your customers will appreciate this! [bctt tweet=”Treat employees as you would treat your customers & more tips to improve customer service” via=”no”] Look after your staff Treat employees as you would treat your customers. Employees take on
Nike Fagbule: Public Relations is an industry that is constantly evolving.
[bctt tweet=”We are not a one size fits all company because all clients are inherently different” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Nike Fagbule is a seasoned PR professional in Nigeria. In 2013, she founded Zebra Stripes Networks, an integrated marketing agency based in Lagos. Over the years, her company has been able to focus on delivering quality service as well as contributing to the development of different economic sectors. They also offer their quota to Corporate Social Responsibility. Nike’s triumph story is one that resonates round passion and commitment to what she does and she has inspired and empowered people along the line. How do you distinguish your brand from other PR labels? Zebra Stripes Networks (ZSN) is very hands on with client activities, especially those that relate to an interaction with their primary audience and the general public. We are not a one size fits all company because all clients, even if they do business in the same industry, are inherently different. At ZSN, we tailor make strategies and techniques for each client. What are some of the common issues/challenges in the PR industry? Like every other industry, sourcing for efficient employees is a major challenge; a lot of people come to this job with no understanding of what is expected of them as a public relations specialist. Public relations is very challenging and requires that you’re great at multi-tasking. It is also an industry that is constantly evolving. Some years ago, public relations in Nigeria was all about media relations -sending releases and monitoring media, but these days it has a lot to do with creating engaging stories and having your audience’s ear till you say I am done. It is no longer limited to traditional media. I’d need an entire interview simply dedicated to PR challenges. If you were not doing PR, what would have been your next option? I’d probably be a writer. It’s what I thought I’d be doing when I was a child. [bctt tweet=”Nike Fagbule: Working non-stop is counterproductive in the long term. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What sacrifice have you made for your company to exist today? Uncountable sleepless nights, a handful of friendships and conspicuous absences at family functions. In the early days of ZSN I did not have weekends to myself and it was a couple of years before I could go on a vacation. I had to take a step back because eventually working non-stop is counterproductive in the long term. Describe a day with Nike Fagbule. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is to read a Bible and book chapter. Then I exercise, check my emails for client alerts and then I go into the office. I also watch a lot of American television so I find a way to infuse it into my day. Which celebrity would you like to work for and why? I’d like to just have a conversation with Shonda Rhimes and her publicist. Shonda is obviously not a celebrity so that probably doesn’t even count, but that would be goals for me. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
4 keys of personal leadership courtesy of Rachel Nyaradzo Adams
[bctt tweet=”Rachel Nyaradzo Adams wants to give people a Master’s degree in themselves @RachelNAdams” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “We all can get an education, but I want to give people a Master’s degree in themselves” These are the words of Zimbabwean leadership consultant Rachel Nyaradzo Adams. This dynamic entrepreneur has crafted leadership strategies for organisations such as Mckinsey & Company, Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) program, and Yale University. She currently runs the leadership consultancy she founded called Narachi Leadership, which caters to high impact leaders across Africa. As soon as I heard the opening statement I knew I had to sit down with this remarkable woman. I wanted to find out more about her passion for African leaders, as well as get a few ideas on how you can elevate your consciousness as a leader. Before you moved back to Zimbabwe, you had an exciting job at Yale University in the office of international affairs. What prompted you to move back home and found Narachi? The seed was planted in me many years ago when I was selected as a Mandela Rhodes scholar. Our program director gathered all the scholars together and she gave us all a candle. She lit hers, and she asked that we light ours only if we were committed to being the change that Africa needs. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had been given permission to make a difference. I was also being given the tools to do so. Many years later while working at Yale University I looked back on that moment and began to question if what I was doing lived up to the commitment I had made. As Africans I believe we are far from creating a continent that gives dignity back to our people. I saw the need back home and knew I could do a better job of addressing it. I had spent my whole career working with leaders and entrepreneurs so starting Narachi was a way to have a more focused impact on the continent ‘one leader at a time’. I admire your commitment to nurturing leaders on the continent. All too often I have heard the phrase ‘Africa has no good leaders’. What is your message to the younger generation? I recently gave a TEDx talk where I shared my views on this. I believe Africa doesn’t have a leadership crisis, it just has a lack of a critical mass of courageous youth. It surprises me when I hear young people complaining about their ‘leaders’. People who are over 70 years of age realistically should have little say in our future. I need young people to question why they are comfortable delegating decision making around their future. Looking at our history, it has never been solely the “leaders” that have transformed this continent, it has been young people. The recently deceased anti-Apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada was 12 years old when he started his activism, Nelson Mandela started in politics at 26 years old, and Aliko Dangote was 21 when he took a loan to start a business. Thomas Sankara was 33. We have to harness our courage and start building the Africa we deserve. There are some young people embracing that spirit of courage, Fred Swaniker would be a good example, but we need more. I would encourage young people to engage with the idea of what it means to put our lives on the line and sacrifice to see your continent as it should be. Doing the right thing won’t get you recognition, and you may not make it onto any prestigious lists for a while. It is however, part of the work that needs to get done. When it comes to making huge life decisions, for example picking a career, it is easy to get bogged down. What should we remember when making these decisions and make these moments of ‘leading ourselves’ easier? Getting bogged down by life is quite common. In my work with Narachi I have realised just how much people struggle to figure themselves out. I believe once people give themselves the permission to live authentically, they begin the journey to becoming better humans AND better leaders. Here are a few steps to getting there with examples from my own life: 1. It begins with ‘resonance’ Ask yourself ‘what resonates with me?’ You have to take time to listen to what has always been there. What are the things that you have always been drawn to or felt passionate about? The key to this is to guard against being seduced by the language of the time. For example, right now there is a lot of attention on entrepreneurship and technology. I therefore, find people trying to fit themselves under labels like ‘tech-entrepreneur’ when they have no business being in that space. Technology is a tool that you can use in service of who you really are. You don’t have to pretend to be good at something you will only be mediocre at because it isn’t a strength of yours. Create a list of topics that interest you and things you do well. If you can’t identify those on your own, ask people around you and colleagues who you work with for feedback on how they experience you. [bctt tweet=”You don’t have to pretend to be good at something you will only be mediocre at” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 2. Accept what resonates with you This is the reality: resonance isn’t always sexy. I often see people who are still afraid of not fitting into the current marketable language. Trying to do so could overshadow the value you bring to the table. When I worked at McKinsey I was surrounded by people who were number crunchers. In an environment like that, I could see the value of their strengths and so I began to doubt the value of mine. The irony is that I had been employed precisely because I was not a strict number cruncher. I had to accept that
Maxima Nsimenta: How to build a successful cosmetic brand
[bctt tweet=”Maxima Nsimenta is proving to herself & the world that quality can be made in Uganda” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Ironically, some young people are spending countless hours drafting and sending job application letters in search of white color jobs, while those employed, are quitting pursuing their passions in businesses. What’s more, the latter are not only becoming regional brands but also going ahead to create employment. With the ever eluding job opportunities and increasing cost of living, it is time young Africans started thinking of what “they can do to their countries” instead of the other way round. That said SLA contributor Maureen Murori caught up with a young entrepreneurial Ugandan lady, whose life’s motto is: “Why not?” Maxima Nsimenta is the CEO and managing partner at Livara, a cosmetics company dealing with natural skin and beauty products. The Steve Jobs inspirational quote: “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me,” is what keeps Maxima awake striving to do something different but wonderful! Maxima and Maureen spoke extensively about founding Livara and Maxima’s personal growth since the venture. Here is what Maxima shared: For some young people, starting and running a business is a challenging task that they would rather not take up. What was/is the inspiration behind your venture? While I was still employed as a Field Engineer at one of the world’s largest oil and gas service companies, I had the opportunity to travel vastly. During my travels, I noticed that some of the high-end cosmetics products used oils and ingredients from Africa. It is these oils that especially made the products that much more valuable. Whenever I’d return home, I’d notice that we weren’t adding value to these oils locally. This seriously perplexed me. In addition to this, after about one and a half years of employment, I stopped getting the fulfillment I initially had with the job. I felt empty and purposeless. It started becoming more of a mechanical aspect of my daily life. Yet, when I indulged myself in beauty and cosmetics, I felt content. I then proposed to build a company that would manufacture top quality natural and organic cosmetics that would compete with the international brands. However, I’d do it from my country, Uganda. I planned to prove to myself and the world that quality can be made in Uganda. It took me about a year to prepare for Livara; mentally, financially, structurally. Then when I had my minimums in place, I took the leap. When people are starting out a business, there are several things that they learn on the job. What are some of the things (positive or negative) that you learned about your business or self since starting your venture? Patience! Before I started out in business, I was used to getting what I wanted when I wanted and how I wanted it. In business, especially the manufacturing business, everything is based on processes and systems. Given that I’m building my company based on systems, it always hits me at home where it hurts. Not everything is instantaneous; perfection takes time and is worth the wait. I have learnt to respect people’s time and competencies a lot more. I have also come to understand and learn the value of teamwork from a front row seat, I cannot do everything alone. Business has taught me to learn to trust and rely on people to do their job, a lot more than I used to before. I have become addicted to knowledge acquisition. Nowadays, I read a lot more to be on top of my game. However, because of this, I realize that I have less time to build my other personal relationships -many of which have been affected. I hope it pays off eventually. Most importantly, I have become more spiritual than before. I have put my hope and trust in God, to guide and help me with the things that are beyond my control. There are several things that could have gone wrong but suddenly and unexplainably did not. For me, that is my God at work; leading me through this journey. [bctt tweet=”Not everything is instantaneous; perfection takes time and is worth the wait” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What skills did you acquire either through practice, work placement or learning institution to improve business? I’m not certain if research is a skill or a culture! But it is the most important thing that I picked up from my previous jobs. I only executed plans after more than adequate research had been carried out. Before my business, I had three jobs that were all scientific and research based. I’d literally spend nights up learning about different things related to one particular aspect of a bigger picture. It was my job to adequately understand the pros and cons and have a comprehensive yet conclusive position on any decision I made. This research-based decision making has been a fundamental skill for my business today. Presentation skills: Many may overlook this, but this is crucial. Although acquired and built over time since my university days, presentation skills have become a great acquisition that has helped me to negotiate better deals for myself and my business. Report writing: This includes writing project studies and reports. This is a skill that helped me write my business plan that won me incubation space at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute where we are based. Had I not known how to write a business plan and adequately present it, I do not know how far I would have come by now! Communication and interpersonal skills are other skills that keep on resurfacing and pushing me forward. The two keep evolving and changing with different circumstances. So, the basics molded me. And they continue to do so, even today. In the end, I’ve learned that it is always the relationships we have that help to either build us or break us in life. What is
Should you plan ahead or just ‘go with the flow’?
[bctt tweet=”You need intention and you need to have some sort of plan with your life” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] There’s nothing wrong with occasionally going ‘with the flow’ when it comes to events that are not major. Like just deciding to get in your car and driving to wherever the road may lead you, we all need to be a little spontaneous at times! The problem with ‘going with the flow’ is not knowing where that flow will lead you. I came across a statement that said: “the trouble with going with the flow is, you might wind up getting sucked down the drain”, and isn’t that true? The danger of moving without a clear plan There are times when going with the flow feels great, the times when everything just seems to fall into place. And sure enough, there are times we have no control over situations, and we have to just go with the flow of things. The tricky thing about going with the flow is that firstly, it takes time to notice things going astray and you may fall into traps, which you could have been able to avoid, had you had a clear set plan. The second reason why going with the flow is not always the wisest thing to do is that if all you do is “go with the flow”, you put yourself at risk of losing focus and allowing yourself to settle for less than what you can achieve. You need intention and you need to have some sort of plan, which maps out how you will get to your target. Life is unpredictable and we often have to deal with things we have not been prepared for. However, planning ahead is still the better thing to do, if you have planned properly, you can always go to ‘Plan B’. Also, if you plan ahead you can usually assess the risks involved, and that may save you from unforeseen challenges. Your plan doesn’t have to be incredibly researched or very detailed but it should have some general idea on how you will achieve or approach a specific situation. It will always make it easier for you to take the next step required in your situation. A plan works exactly like a map –you know how hard it can be trying to get to a place with no directions. What would have taken a few minutes, can easily end up taking hours! The same can be said when you go through each year or day-to-day activities without any form of direction; you may find yourself circling the same place over and over again –but with a plan you have some form of direction, meaning you can go straight to your destination point without going through the same circles. Why planning is important #1 You have a clearer vision of where you want to go. #2 It makes it easier to examine the risks involved. #3 There’s no wasted time; therefore you can achieve your goals in a shorter time frame. #4 Should something go wrong, you can always move to ‘plan B’. My go-to manual for all matters of life, the word of God says: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” – Proverbs 15:22. We should never forget that there are people who have already been where we need to go. There are people who can guide you in the right direction. That’s what communities like SLA are for. So, if you have not already done so, it’s time to start making a plan about the steps you need to take to get to the top in 2017. You can’t allow yourself to go with the flow… we need to be intentional!
Chika Madubuko: Creating a platform of care and support for the elderly
[bctt tweet=”I was able to identify winning business routes and steered Greymate Care in that direction” via=”no”] A young woman’s trouble in finding a safe and reliable caregiver for her bedridden granny, made her think of filling that void for others. As a #MotherlandMogul who believes in improving the African economy by identifying and solving problems, Chika Madubuko is using technology to support Nigerians, one elderly and disabled person at a time. Making life easier in Africa is one of the causes Chika is passionate about, she has businesses in the agricultural and health sector including her caregiving online platform Greymate Care. Greymate Care offers a safe and secure platform for people to look for a caregiver for their elderly family. With experience in multinationals such as Amazon Inc. and Guinness, Chika is gradually turning Greymate Care into an empire and improving the lives of the vulnerable people. In this interview, Chika talks about the selflessness and business acumen of African women when it comes to unconventional business ideas. What is the story behind the birth of Greymate Care? Greymate Care was created so Nigerians never have to experience the same hassle we did when my granny became bedridden due to diabetes. We were all busy and couldn’t provide her with the care she deserved. Hiring a caregiver for her was so complicated. Sometimes miles were travelled in futility to interview one caregiver, and we often ended up with a poorly trained caregiver. Not to forget the security issues that had to do with having a total stranger in the home. I asked around and discovered it was not peculiar to our family. The busy professionals complained too. Greymate Care addresses the problem and is an online platform that connects the vulnerable to a competent, insured, and professional caregiver. Our caregivers are background checked thus taking the stress of care off busy professionals. The icing on the cake is that you can get even a doctor or a nurse from the platform. Even in the event there’s a strike, doctors never have to worry as there is a source of income for them. [bctt tweet=”The African market is a very unique one and a foreign business idea would fail if necessary tweaks are not carried out” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What skills have come to play for you in the course of running your business? My meticulous nature and business acumen have been pivotal to the success of Greymate Care. I was able to identify winning business routes and steered Greymate Care in that direction. The business also requires a lot of personalised activities per service user; I could spot each peculiarity by paying attention to detail. Did you experience hiccups in localizing this western business concept into the African market? And how did you scale through? The African market is a very unique one and a foreign business idea would fail if necessary tweaks are not carried out. One marketing or recruitment error can grind the business to a total halt. For Greymate Care, it was hard initially to convince everyone on the value chain, from the investors to the consumers. The consumers were worried about safety due to concerns about crime rate and the investors, viability. We subscribed to premium insurance and background checks from experts and with that, we were able to convince the prospects on security. They were converted to paying clients, and when the numbers increased, the investors became convinced on viability. What business support(s) have helped you so far in the course of running your business? Mentorship from successful entrepreneurs has helped a lot. Attending relevant networking events has also proven useful in the growth of Greymate Care. [bctt tweet=”Build an excellent product and watch it sell itself – Chika Madubuko” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you sell your business to your clients and make them trust you? First is developing a good product that speaks for itself, our methods are different. For example, instead of manually lifting a service user, we insisted on hoists. We then sell our uniqueness and reviews from existing customers through social media, press releases, and offline marketing. Our best bet is influencer marketing where we partner with key individuals/firms and gain referrals from them. Gaining their support is easy as our services are unique and of world standard. Our mantra remains ‘build an excellent product and watch it sell itself’. What four words resonates with your business Priority, Attention, Technology, Compassionate. [bctt tweet=”With the right business strategies, your market share will be significant – Chika Madubuko” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As a young entrepreneur, what are your expectations in the business world? I am mentally prepared for the daunting process called entrepreneurship. I hope to achieve my milestones, such as gaining 30,000 service users by 2018, and raising enough funds to expand to other African countries like Kenya and Ghana. Does monopoly from a starting a new business concept play any role for start-ups? Running a monopolistic business can be likened to a life-size oxymoron. With the right business strategies, your market share will be significant but your marketing budget has to be really high since you’re first on the scene. If not Greymate Care, what other name would you go for? Iya Care If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.